True Stories of Strange Events and Odd People : A Memoir

Lawrence Bartell experienced many strange events over the course of his long life, at least partly because he deliberately strayed far from the beaten path in science. While it might not have been the most efficient way to gain a reputation in his field, it was more fun.

In his memoir, he presents a collection of entertaining, sometimes bizarre stories collected over a lifetime. Bartell chronicles a wide variety of experiences, such as his predisposition to indulge in childhood pranks, his arrest as a possible Russian spy, his work on the Manhattan Project, his entry into the Guinness Book of Records, his stint in the US Navy during wartime, and his appointment as visiting professor in Moscow during the height of the Cold War. As he recalls the curious-and often bizarre-true stories he acquired over a lifetime, it soon becomes evident that scientists are just as human as anyone else and that beer really can play an important role in preparing one for a PhD thesis.

True Stories of Strange Events and Odd People shares details from a scientist's one-of-a-kind journey through life as he observes the world around him, tests his theories, and learns valuable life lessons.

Lawrence S. Bartell is a professor emeritus of the chemistry department of the University of Michigan. To date, he has published over three hundred scientific articles and continues to actively publish today. This is his first work of a nonscientific nature, presenting stories accumulated over a lifetime.